The Good Shepherd

Well, Mark sets the scene for the telling of this event by noting how the disciples had recently returned from their evangelistic mission.

You remember from our study earlier in the chapter, Jesus had sent the apostles out on their first kind of mini mission,

and they were going about the regions of Galilee, and they were preaching his word, and they were performing his works.

That's important.

They were doing it in his name, and that's exactly what the focus of their mission was.

They preached the gospel of the kingdom, and they performed the works that Jesus had given them authority to do,

casting out demons and healing the sick and so on.

And as a result of that, the name of Jesus spread even further than it had already spread.

In fact, last week, we realized that the name of Jesus spread all the way to the courts of King Herod,

or King Herod the Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea.

And Mark uses the arrest and death and execution of John the Baptist really as a way of reflecting the passing of time.

And now he's returning back to this issue of the disciples' mission as they are now gathering back to Jesus.

And so if you're just really kind of outlining or sketching out what's actually happening in this chapter,

Jesus teaches the lesson in Nazareth about rejection, and then he sends the disciples out,

and he gives them the instructions there.

And then Mark kind of reflects this passing of time, and he tells this story about John the Baptist,

how he was arrested and how he was put to death, and how King Herod was struggling over who exactly Jesus was.

Well, now that he's finished that particular story, he's returning to the disciples.

The time has passed. Their limited time for their mission has passed, and they're gathering back to Jesus.

And as they gather back to Jesus, there's really two things that they're doing.

They're reporting, and they're resorting.

They're reporting, and they're resorting.

Let's first look at their reporting in verse 30.

The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught.

So you can probably imagine the excitement on the faces of these men as they gather back,

and they're reunited with Jesus.

They're reunited with one another.

And you can imagine the stories that they begin to tell.

Excitement about all that God had done through them in preaching the gospel,

the people that they were able to heal in the name of Jesus,

and the demons they were able to have authority over because of the authority that Jesus had given them.

Perhaps even stories of rejection and the times that they did actually have to shake off the dust from their garments

and pronounce judgment on a particular town or a particular group of people.

Great excitement as they come back, and they begin to report,

this is what happened as we were out accomplishing the will of Jesus.

And we see that this pattern of reporting is actually clear in the New Testament.

It wouldn't only happen in this case.

It's actually a very natural thing.

As we get into the later New Testament books in the book of Acts,

we see the apostle Paul in particular and the other people who ministered with him

occasionally and periodically circling back around to their home churches.

And what were they doing?

They were reporting and resorting, taking time for rest,

reporting on all the work that God was doing in other places.

And missionaries do that still today.

They send letters or maybe videos or maybe they go on furlough assignments

and they go around to some of the churches to which they've been connected

to report on this is what God is doing.

These are the blessings that we have seen as a result of his hand.

These are the protections that he has given despite the difficulty,

and they report back on what God is doing.

And then we understand that God has built this into the fabric of the church.

That it doesn't just relate to those who are missionaries

and those who are going out on particular missions for the gospel's sake.

This actually applies to each one of us.

Think about this.

Our time of gathering Sunday by Sunday,

there should be some type of element of excitement

to which we're gathering back again with the people of God

in order to excitedly share with them what God is doing in us

and what God is doing through us.

In fact, we should be so engaged in gospel mission throughout the week

that every time we gather back together, there is more to share.

There is more about who we have been able to witness to the gospel with

and how God has blessed our lives and how he's using our lives.

The difficulties maybe that we're going through and that we're trusting God for.

But how seldom does that actually happen?

We don't have a lot of reports to give.

And sometimes it may just be out of timidity.

Sometimes it may be because we're not really all that engaged

throughout the week in what God has called us to do.

There's not really anything to report.

I think about it.

If this became the fabric of the culture of Lakeside Bible Church,

every week as we're gathering, we're sharing what God is doing.

We're talking of God's work in our lives and his work through our lives.

And it becomes an encouragement in God's mission.

It becomes exhortation for others to be involved in God's mission.

It helps us know how to pray for one another

because our lives are not just about what we want to do.

Our lives are about Jesus and what he has called us to do.

And why wouldn't we talk about that?

So they're reporting and they're reporting excitedly.

And then they're resorting.

Look with me at verse 31.

And he said to them,

come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.

For many were coming and going and they had no leisure even to eat.

And so despite the excitement from the reports,

they were weary.

They were tired.

Crowds were continuing to press upon them insofar as they were unable to even have a meal.

They couldn't stop even for just a few minutes to sit down and eat some bread.

And it's a helpful reminder to us as if we need the reminder

that life in the church at times can be draining, can't it?

These men are weary.

They're tired.

They're tired.

And they have no moment for a break.

But then we see Jesus is not a heavy-handed taskmaster, is he?

He understood the men's exhaustion.

And he insisted that they withdraw for a while to rest.

We can't pass this up.

But I want you to notice the two components of this rest.

They were to be with Jesus.

And they were to go to a quiet place of solitude.

Now, the intention of this from Jesus' perspective

was not to give these men a vacation.

That's not what this is about.

It's not that we go, and of course,

I'm not saying that we shouldn't vacate.

We need to do those things.

We need to do that.

God cares about our physical rest.

Certainly does.

That's why he's given us a Sabbath.

And we need to understand that.

But that's not what Jesus is doing here.

He's not saying, you guys have been working hard.

Let's go for a week to the beach.

Okay, that's not what he's saying.

Here's the rest that they needed.

They needed to be with him.

And they needed to be with him alone.

James Edwards said this.

The gathering of the disciples to Jesus means

that in the midst of business and busyness,

they are accountable to him alone.

And the greater the demands on them,

the greater their need to be alone with Jesus.

So don't miss the lesson here.

We regularly need quiet solitude with Jesus.

Jesus, no effort in this life,

no matter how noble it may be,

should ever prevent us from nurturing

our personal walk and fellowship with God.

And if we're not careful,

busyness will very quickly become the enemy

of spiritual growth.

And even good and necessary things like work

and parenting and even ministry

can devolve into forms of idolatry

when we allow those things to become the priority

even over our personal walk with the Savior.

We need to resort daily in solitude with Jesus.

We need time in his word.

We need time in prayer.

And we need to make that time.

We need to find rest in the weekly gathering of God's people.

That's a part of what our worship is.

It's a time of spiritual rest.

Perhaps even it would do some of us good

to take a day off

and go away somewhere

for the sole purpose

of spending time with Jesus.

to spend time in his word

and time in prayer

and not do anything else

but refresh ourselves

in our Savior.

And it was in this pursuit

of this rest

that the story unfolds here.

And Mark writes in verse 34

that when Jesus saw these people,

he viewed them as if they were sheep

without a shepherd.

And that's the lens through which

I want to view the main body of this text.

that Jesus is the good shepherd

that all of us desperately need.

And so let's look at it together.

Number one,

the good shepherd cares for the sheep.

The good shepherd cares for the sheep.

Look with me at verse 32.

They went away in the boat

to a desolate place by themselves.

Many saw them going and recognized them.

And they ran there on foot from all the towns

and got there ahead of them.

When he went ashore,

he saw a great crowd

and he had compassion on them

because they were like sheep

without a shepherd.

And he began to teach them many things.

And we often think of these voyages

on the Sea of Galilee

as if they are being taken

across the open waters,

literally crossing the entire length

or breadth of the lake.

And there are certainly times

in the scripture

where we can be confident

that that is the case.

However, most of the time,

these small fishing vessels,

as they're traveling from town to town,

maybe perhaps more than anything else,

just to get off their feet,

they would follow the shallow shorelines

of the Sea of Galilee

or the Lake of Galilee.

Luke tells us that they were actually

specifically heading

toward the area around Bethsaida.

And so Bethsaida is just northeast

of Capernaum.

And it's reasonable for us to conclude

based on the movements of Jesus

and his disciples at this point,

that where they started

was somewhere southwest of Capernaum.

And Capernaum is right,

almost directly north of the lake.

And so you can imagine

they're somewhere southwest of that.

And they begin to follow

the shallow waters of the shoreline,

kind of around the top part of the lake,

on their way to a desolate place

near Bethsaida.

And as they're going past these towns,

these fishing villages,

particularly Capernaum,

where Jesus had really set up

his home base,

as they pass through these areas,

people began to recognize who it was.

And they started to follow them

on the shore.

Now the topography of the Galilean region

made this easy for them to do.

So as the ship is slowly

maybe sailing the shallows,

more and more people realize

and recognize who it is

because they've been following him

for some time now.

And they begin to follow along

on the shore,

just waiting for him to stop somewhere.

And as they go from town to town

and from village to village,

more people add to the mass of people.

And it just becomes this huge crowd.

And as they sailed along

and they got closer and closer

to the regions of Bethsaida,

the crowd really grows considerably.

And so it's at the point

where they're actually waiting on the shore,

not because they knew

where Jesus and these men were going,

but they just literally followed them.

And the men had to stop somewhere.

And wherever they were going to stop,

there was going to be

a whole lot of people.

And so as they're traveling around,

they get to the area.

Thousands of people are now gathered

to see Jesus.

Now remember,

the intention of this trip,

at least from the disciples' perspective,

was not to engage in ministry.

They needed rest and solitude with Jesus.

And I can imagine,

because I know my own tendencies,

that there were feelings of frustration

that began to grow

among these 12 disciples

that were with Jesus.

Now one option for them

would have been just to keep sailing.

Eventually, they're going to come to a place

where it would be more difficult

for those people to cross.

And maybe they would eventually go so far

as the people would just stop following.

And perhaps that is what the disciples

hoped that Jesus would do.

Just keep sailing.

Just keep sailing until we have a place

where we can just be alone.

But instead of passing on,

Jesus was determined to minister

to the people.

Why?

Mark says it was because of his heart

of compassion.

Because he cared for those people deeply.

This word for compassion,

it literally,

it's the Greek word for guts.

Like we could say that

I love you with all my heart

and it would be the equivalent of saying

I love you with all my guts

is how it would have,

the nomenclature that they would have used

in that particular time.

When it says that he's moved

with compassion at this moment,

it's the fact that Jesus sees

all these people on the shore,

they're looking for him

and he can't help

but care compassionately

for those people.

He needed rest too.

But when he saw them,

he couldn't help

but feel his heart

move towards them.

Feel his heart of compassion

and those fires

flare up once again

in order to go to those people

and serve those people

and teach those people.

Why?

Because they were like sheep

without a shepherd.

No one was leading them in truth.

They didn't understand.

They were all looking

for the wrong things.

They all said they were looking

for the same thing,

the Messiah,

but they were all looking for it

in the wrong places.

They had a misunderstanding

of what that really was

and Jesus so moved

with compassion towards them,

abandons this moment of rest

in order to go to these people

and minister to them.

Why?

Because the good shepherd

cares for his sheep.

And there's not the only place

in the Gospels

that we see this language used.

Matthew chapter 9,

Matthew 9 · chapter mention

36 through 38.

Matthew wrote,

when Jesus saw the crowds,

he had compassion on them

for they were harassed

and helpless

like sheep without a shepherd.

And in that compassion,

he turns to his disciples

and he says,

the harvest truly is plenteous,

but the laborers are few.

Pray therefore,

the Lord of the harvest,

that he would send more laborers

into his harvest.

One thing that we know

everywhere Jesus goes

is his heart of compassion.

And his main concern

in this compassion

was that the people

were not being led in truth.

And there's this sense

of overwhelming compassion

was the product of his desire

for them to know

the truth of salvation

and the truth of the kingdom

of God.

And we know this is the case

because at the very end

of the verse,

his response to their need

was to do what?

Teach them.

Teach them.

When the disciples saw the crowd,

they likely saw an obstacle

to their rest.

When Jesus saw the crowds,

he saw another opportunity

to preach the gospel

and help the people.

Why?

Because he cares.

He cares.

Infinitely

about our souls,

he cares.

He cares for you.

It's not by happenstance

that you sit

in this service today

when we come

to a passage

that specifically deals

with the compassionate heart

of our Savior.

That's not by chance.

You're here

because he cares for you.

You hear this message today

because he cares for you.

Because he has moved

with compassion on you.

And the compassion

that he feels for you

begins with your knowledge

of the truth.

He wants you to know the truth.

The truth of who he is.

The truth of how he alone

can provide salvation

and forgiveness

and eternal life.

Charles Weigel knew this well.

He wrote about it

in a song in 1932.

You may know it.

I'm sure you do.

I would love to tell you

what I think of Jesus.

For I've found in him

a friend

so strong and true.

I can tell you

how he changed

my life completely.

He did something

that no other friend

could do.

And what was it?

Charles wrote.

No one ever cared for me

like Jesus.

There's no other friend

so kind as he.

No one else

could take the sin

and darkness

from me.

Oh how much

he cares

for me.

If there's nothing else

you get from this passage

get this.

He cares

for you.

And his main concern

for you

is not that you get

a little bit of bread

and a little bit of fish

for lunch today.

what he cares

is that you understand

who he is

and that you would

turn from your sin

and that you would

believe him

and trust him

for eternal life.

For eternal life.

That you would follow him

as Lord.

Without his care

we'd all be without hope.

But the good shepherd

cares for the sheep.

Secondly

the good shepherd

provides for the sheep.

The good shepherd

provides for the sheep.

So these verses

verses 35 to 41

really make up

the main body

of the narrative

and I want to examine it

with two headings in mind.

First is a human crisis.

A human crisis.

Look with me

at verse 35.

And when it grew late

his disciples

came to him

and said

this is a desolate place

and the hour

is now late.

Send them away

to go into

the surrounding

countryside

and villages

and buy themselves

something

to eat.

So at this point

the teaching

had probably

gone on

for several hours

and a legitimate

crisis was

beginning to mount.

Daylight was fleeting.

It was probably

about four in the afternoon

this time of year

somewhere around April.

The sun would have

gone down

around six o'clock

so we're somewhere

in the middle

to late afternoon.

The disciples can tell

that the day

is coming to a close.

They're in a remote place.

There's no towns

or villages near

and there was

no place

for the people

to get any food.

So the disciples

recognized a legitimate need

but you can't help

but get the feeling

that this is more

than about

the need of the people.

You get the sense

that they saw this

as a way

to finally get

these people

to go away

so that they could

do what?

Get the rest

that they wanted

and really

that they needed.

They knew

as long as

Jesus kept teaching

the people

were going to

stick around.

And so they come

to Jesus

interrupting

whatever may have

been going on

and then they take

more of a commanding

role over Jesus

and they instruct him

on what they feel

he needs to do

at that moment.

I don't want to

disparage the disciples

in a way

that's unnecessary

but I can't help

but read this

with flashbacks

to chapter one.

You remember

in Capernaum

when all of those

people were coming

to Jesus for healing

and he healed people

all throughout the night

and he gets up

super early

the next morning

before everybody

else gets up

and he goes

into a solitary

place to pray

and then everybody

is trying to find him

and the disciples

finally find him

in order that they

can control his

movements

and then he shocks

them and he says

no we're going

to go to other

towns because

I came to teach

and we need to

go teach them

also.

And so we get

flashbacks here

the disciples

are frustrated

they're tired

and they're weary

but Jesus knew

the needs of the

people better

than anyone

but they still

felt that it

was necessary

to take action

that seems

to undermine

Jesus'

authority here.

Now let's look

at how Jesus

responds

verse 37

but he answered

them

you give them

something to eat

and they said

shall we go

and buy

200 denarii

worth of bread

and give it

to them to eat

and he said

how many loaves

do you have

go and see

and they had

found out

and said

five and

two fish

now can you

imagine the

immediate reaction

on the disciples

face when

Jesus told

them to feed

the people

the whole

reason that

they tried

to instruct

Jesus anyways

is because

they couldn't

feed the

people

and they're

trying to get

Jesus to send

these people

away in order

so that they

can get

some dinner

and you can

sense that

their frustration

reaches its

peak at this

point and it's

not very difficult

to sense the

sarcasm in

this right

Jesus looks

at them and

says you

give them

something to

eat a

denarii was

a day's

wage for a

common laborer

and so 200

denarii would

have been like

two-thirds

year salary

these men just

got back from

a mission trip

where Jesus

told them

don't take

anything with

you they

have no money

there's no

money that these

men have so

it's not that

they're coming

to Jesus

and saying

all we have

here is 200

denarii do you

think we should

go and and

buy some bread

for all these

people with this

money that's not

what they're

saying they're

saying this is

absurd we have

no food we have

no money we have

no provisions how

are we supposed to

feed these people

this is sarcasm on

their part this is

frustration on

their part they

didn't have the

kind of money it

would take and

even if they did

there was no place

to buy it

they're in the

middle of nowhere

so Jesus moves

to his second

instruction and

he says well

tell me what you

do have go and

find out and

they come back

John tells us

that it's Andrew

Simon Peter's

brother that comes

back and he has

with them the

lunch of a little

boy there's five

small cakes and

two fish so do

you see what

Jesus is trying to

get across to his

disciples here there

was a crisis at

hand and they

were powerless to

help that's the

point why did he

say give them

something to eat

because he knew

they didn't have

anything to give

them to eat he

knew they didn't

have any money he

knew there were

only five pieces of

bread and two

fish that are out

there in the crowd

he knew it that was

the point you can't

feed them it's an

impossible task they

can't feed themselves

there's nothing and

nowhere for them to

go Jesus wasn't

losing his mind and

nor was he trying to

push the disciples

buttons he was

making it clear no

one could meet the

needs of those people

except him that's the

point you can't help

these people but I

can now I want to

note before we move

on this was not a

lack of faith on the

disciples part sometimes

we think that we think

that they bring this

this lunch to Jesus and

I think it's Andrew

that says what are

these among so many

okay I don't think

that's that's a lack

of faith thinking

that Jesus can't do

anything with this

this is just

frustration because

they don't want him

to do anything with

it really is what it

is think about

everything they've

seen they've seen

Jesus cleanse lepers

that's impossible

but he did it

they've seen Jesus

heal sick people

everywhere that they

went they've seen

Jesus cast out

demons they were on

a boat thinking

they were about to

die and Jesus says

three words and all

of nature obeys his

voice they've seen

all of that just

after they watched

him raise a little

girl from the dead

okay there's no

question in their

mind of what Jesus

can do this isn't a

matter of faith it

wasn't that they

doubted Jesus's

ability to feed the

people it's that they

didn't care if he did

or not they were

exhausted they were

hungry they were now

hangry and they were

so caught up in their

circumstance that they

just preferred that the

people try and find

provision in another

place now how many of

us have that same

tendency we know that

Jesus can save people

and we know that Jesus

will save people and

he'll save anyone who

comes to him genuinely

in faith and repentance

but do we care if he

saves people and do we

care if they come

God forbid that we ever

get so wrapped up in our

own circumstances that we

would sooner send people

away to find help on

their own than actually

make the effort to lead

them to the Savior that

can save their soul but

we're too tired to do

that we're too exhausted

to do that there's other

things we'd rather do and

we'd just sooner Jesus

send them to somebody

else no he was a

compassionate shepherd

he's a compassionate

Savior and he demands

that we be the same

compassionate toward

those whom he can save

so there's a human crisis

and now there's a divine

solution divine solution

look at verse 39 then

he commanded them all to

sit down in groups on the

green grass so that they

sat down in groups by

hundreds and by fifties

taking the five loaves and

two fish he looked up to

heaven and said a

blessing and broke the

loaves and gave them to the

disciples to set before

the people and he divided

the two fish among them

all so they he's

established the fact that

the people can't help

themselves he's established

the fact that the

disciples can't help them

either so it all relies on

Jesus now it always relied

on Jesus he takes control

and after organizing the

people in smaller groups he

initiated a solution that

only the almighty God could

accomplish it was an act of

creation you realize that we

don't know exactly how he did

this we don't know exactly the

the the process by which he

multiplied all of this food

all we know is that it was an

act of creation well there's

only one creator what does that

say about Jesus he is the

creator

notice the sequence of this

miracle he took the bread and

he blessed it and he broke it

and he gave it now it's probably

not an unusual table manner for

first century Jews but there's

foreshadowing in this there's

another passage where Jesus

followed the same sequence it's

in Matthew 26 says now as they

were eating this is the last

supper Jesus took the bread and he

blessed it and he broke it and he

gave it and he said take eat this

is my body and he took the cup and

when he had given thanks he gave it

to them saying drink all of it for

this is my blood of the covenant which

is poured out for many for the

forgiveness of sins say what is this

all about

when Jesus broke the bread on the

night of his arrest he was

symbolizing how his body would soon

be broken for the sins of man

when he looks up with these 5,000

people or more gathered around him

and he takes these five lobes and

he looks up to heaven and he blesses

it and then he breaks it and then he

gives it to the disciples to

distribute out to all of the people

he's foreshadowing this supper he's

foreshadowing the fact that he

himself is the one that will be

broken for those people listen this is

not about how we should be willing to

give Jesus our lunch it's about him

giving us what he has to offer it's

not about how he will meet our material

needs if we just trust him it's about

how he alone can meet our eternal need

of salvation from sin and death this

miracle is not about Jesus providing

5,000 people with bread it's about how

he has provided eternal life for an

innumerable number of people in fact this

is exactly how Jesus himself interpreted

the miracle in John chapter 6 the very

John 6 · chapter mention

next day John says Jesus and his

disciples go to another place and the

people find him and they ask him for

more bread and he says you didn't you

didn't care to find me today to see a

sign you just want more food and they

essentially said yeah give us some more

food listen what Jesus said John chapter 6

John 6:29

verse 29 he answered them this is the

work of God that you believe in him whom

he has sent and then they said to him

then what sign do you do that we may see

and believe now wait a minute they were

part of the 5,000 the day before they saw

this sign they're not looking for a sign

they're tempting Jesus they're placing they

can play against any potential pride that he

may have to provide them with more food they

go on and they say what sign do you do that

we may believe what work do you perform our

fathers ate manna in the wilderness as it is

written he gave them bread from heaven to

eat in other words hint hint Jesus the sign

we'd really love you to perform is why don't

you give us manna from heaven what did Jesus

say truly truly I say to you it was not Moses who

gave you the bread from heaven but my father

gives you the true bread from heaven for the

bread of God is he who comes down from heaven

and gives life to the world and they said

oh this is what we're talking about Jesus

thank you give us this bread always they say

Jesus says I am the bread I am the bread of

life whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever

believes in me shall never thirst they say just give us

some more bread and he says listen the bread of God is he

who who he has sent to give life to the world they say oh yeah

this is what we're talking about and he says no you don't get

it I'm the bread I'm the bread believe me and you'll never

hunger believe me and you'll never thirst and he's not talking

about a physical hunger he's not talking about a physical thirst he's

talking about their spiritual soul believe me and your soul will never be

hungry again believe me and your soul will never thirst again the miracle

yesterday wasn't about feeding you it's about me I am the bread

people often come to Jesus seeking the goods that may come from his hands but what we all truly

need is Jesus himself

we got all these churches and these pastors that are trying to manipulate people into thinking if you

will just come here if you will come and submit yourself here God will give you everything that

you want no we won't no we won't but he'll give you everything that you need because what you need is him

material gain and success are not guarantees of the gospel nor does Jesus always provide it to

those who come to him in faith these were prosperity gospel seekers in John 6 he is the guarantee of the gospel and all who come to him in faith and repentance will receive eternal life that's you

later in John 6 he says all that the father gives me will come to me and whoever comes to me I will not cast away ever

come to him

not for more money or for success or for happiness because you may not get any of those things

come to him

come to him

for him

because when you have him

you have a life

real

eternal

life

thirdly the good shepherd is sufficient for the sheep

cares for the sheep

he provides for the sheep

remember we're framing this around the good shepherd because of what Jesus noticed

they were without a shepherd

and he is the shepherd that they needed he's the shepherd that we need and he's sufficient

for the sheep

look at verse 42

and they all ate and were satisfied

and they took up the 12 baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish and those who ate the loaves

were 5,000 men

now I don't have a lot to say about these verses except to note

that every person that came to Jesus

was satisfied

every person that came to Jesus

was satisfied

5,000 men ate that day according to Mark

Matthew's quick to point out that there were plenty of women and children there as well

we don't know exactly how many people were there

there's lots of suggestions

we don't know

what we do know

is that everybody that was there

left

full

full

and as we consider this in light of its gospel meaning

we need to recognize

that Jesus alone

is sufficient

to satisfy

fully

the need of our souls

those people ate bread that day and they got hungry again

but anybody that comes to Jesus

he's sufficient

so that you will never again hunger

and thirst

no person ever comes to him in faith

without being totally satisfied

we sing about this

I rejoice in my redeemer

greatest treasure

wellspring of my soul

I will trust in him

no other

my soul

is satisfied

in him

alone

we sing that

it's an interesting note about the 12 baskets that were remaining

I don't think that this was Jesus's way of throwing the whole ordeal back in the disciples face

I don't think this was an I told you so moment

I don't think that's what he's doing

I really think it's just an earnest reminder

to them

of his identity

who he is

because they didn't get it

we know they didn't get it

because when we come to the next passage next Sunday

Mark plainly says

their hearts were hardened

and they did not understand about the loaves

and we'll deal with that then

but they didn't get it

but this is just another reminder

earlier they had acknowledged the lack of provision

but now they were forced to see the abundance that was left over

yet another sign that the man that they followed

was not only a man

he is God

he is the Messiah

now tell me

who fed the 5,000

Jesus did right

who gave the people the food

the disciples did

did you notice that

Jesus didn't walk through each group of 150

with that little bit of fish and bread

and hand it to the people

that's not what he did

he probably stayed in one place

and he gave it to his disciples

and they took it to the people

now

they didn't make the food

what'd they do

they just took it to the people

they couldn't force the people to eat

all they could do

was take what Jesus had given them

to somebody else

this is what each of us are called to do

we don't make the food

we can't feed anybody

we're just the servers

we take what he has given

and we give it to everyone else

now

how good of a server are you

it's not the point of this passage

but I can't help it

I can't help it

because we always think of the fact

that Jesus fed the 5,000

but Jesus didn't hand a piece of bread and fish

to anybody there

except for the people that already belong to him

guess what

if you know Christ

you belong to him

so take this gospel meal

and give it to somebody else

miracle took place

because Jesus saw

the people as sheep

without a shepherd

and he knew that he was

the only one sufficient for them

so I think it'd be helpful

for us to close

in John chapter 10

John 10 · chapter mention

you can turn there if you want

John chapter 10

John 10 · chapter mention

beginning at verse 14

Jesus said

I am the good shepherd

he just plainly states it

I'm the good shepherd

I know my own

and my own know me

just as the father knows me

and I know the father

and I lay down my life

for the sheep

that's how he feeds us

you realize that

that's the food

and I have other sheep

that are not of this fold

I must bring them also

and they will listen to my voice

so there will be one flock

one shepherd

for this reason the father loves me

because I lay down my life

that I may take it up

again

no one takes it from me

but I lay it down

of my own accord

I have authority

to lay it down

and I have authority

to take it up again

this is the charge

I have received

from my father

what makes him

the good shepherd

that he laid down

his life

for the sheep

his death

is our death

and because he has authority

to take his life

up again

as he did in his resurrection

he has authority

to give life

to all

who will come to him

in faith

he said

there are still people

not of the fold of Israel

that he intends

to bring into his flock

are you one of them

do you hear his voice

because he said

my sheep

hear my voice

and they know me

do you hear his voice

if you do

harden not your heart

listen

and believe

and obey